Srinagar, Mar 2: As the children of Hyderpora localities like Shah Anwar Colony and Hamdaan Avenue walk down to their schools after winter hibernation, they have to watch out for the veritable death traps - the open and incomplete deep drains. 
 A resident calls the manholes “horror holes” and wonders how the contracting firm can go away with such behavior. 
 “The whole winter was a nightmare as we were without our main road. The contracting firm didn’t touch the road - which was duly metalled prior to drainage work - to make it worthy of walking”, said Muhammad Farooq Wani, a resident. 
 “Our worst nightmare is about our school-going children skidding down the drains in these rainy days”, says Abdul Hameed Shah, another resident. “Somewhere accountability has to be fixed”, he adds.
 According to R&B Department’s expenditure sheet for 2009-10, improvement and upgradation of Shah Anwar Colony Road has cost Rs 4 lakhs. Similarly, the extension & improvement of L-No.2 Sector 3 Gulberg Colony has also cost Rs 4 lakhs. Yet the people in these areas suffer immensely due to incomplete drainage work. 
 With scanty funds, the R&B Department has now submitted a proposal to NABARD for the development of the colony’s roads. The residents keep their fingers crossed.
   “All the money spent seems to have gone waste since the drainage work isn’t in sync with what R&B Department tries to do”, says Parvez Ahmed, another resident.
   The company, which holds the contract of the drainage work in the area says that it is soon starting the work of restoring the colony roads as they existed prior to the drainage work.  
 “We plan to use a new technique now for restoring roads after the drainage work is over. That, we believe, will make them last longer and withstand harsh weather”, Muhammad Yaqoob, the company’s manager for the drainage project in the area told .

 Open manhole at Bemina
Srinagar: The open manhole in the greenbelt at Almadar Colony, Bemina, opposite Shyam Lal Petrol Pump, has become dangerous spot for human as well as animals.
“The upper portion including lid of the 12ft deep manhole was crushed to pieces by a truck some six months ago. We have time and again informed the authorities of S&D, division-II, but to no avail,” said the residents of the Colony, appealing to the UEED chief engineer for intervention to take steps for immediate repairs of the manhole before some untoward incidents takes place.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 2 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 2 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 3 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST